Social Work Spotlight

In this episode I speak with Rosemary, who came to social work later in life after first completing a Bachelor of Community Social Services, eventually graduating with both a Bachelor and Master of Social Work from the University of Sydney. Rosemary worked in mental health, children with disabilities and other areas before commencing her current role in haematology and bone marrow transplant at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, 23 years ago.Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:Pam McGrath’s Research Gate page - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Pam-McgrathA Mutual-Aid Model for Social Work with Groups (book summary) - https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203794845/mutual-aid-model-social-work-groups-dominique-moyse-steinbergABC article on carer support, featuring Rosemary - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-04/caring-for-carers-as-cancer-rate-rises/6672266Rosemary’s article “Groupwork with women who have a child with a developmental disability ” - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03124079408411147This episode's transcript can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-xk4T8Z9mrZkokuOs3qDnL2LmPJubfL7zY1-t-szqAk/edit?usp=sharingThanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

In this episode I speak with Seena, an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker based in Brisbane who has worked in the human services sector for over 15 years. Seena is a first-generation Gujarati woman born and raised in England but now living in Australia, and she brings an appreciation of how culture, identity, relationships, and lived experience shape people’s stories. Her practice spans mental health, trauma, domestic and family violence, relationships, parenting, and men’s behaviour change. Grounded in dignity, cultural humility, and trauma-informed practice, Seena is passionate about walking alongside people with both compassion and accountability and creating environments where people feel heard, respected, and empowered as the experts of their own lives.Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:‘Invitations to Responsibility’ by Alan Jenkins - https://archive.org/details/invitationstores00jenkOur Watch - https://www.ourwatch.org.au/No To Violence - https://ntv.org.au/about-us/ANROWS (Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety) - https://www.anrows.org.au/Institute of Non-Violence - https://ionv.com.au/Safe & Together Institute - https://safeandtogetherinstitute.com/Blue Knot Foundation - https://blueknot.org.au/Emerging Minds - https://emergingminds.com.au/Suggested reading:Judith Herman: Trauma and Recovery (1992)Bessel Van der Kolk: The Body Keeps the Score (2014)Janina Fisher: Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors (2017)Peter Levine: Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma (1997)Alan Jenkins (1990): Invitations to Responsibility: The Therapeutic Engagement of Men who are Violent and Abusive (https://archive.org/details/invitationstores00jenk) Evan Stark (2023): Coercive Control: How Men Entrap Women in Personal Life. Michael Flood (2018): Engaging Men and Boys in Violence Prevention.Michael Flood (2025): Understanding Men's Lives: Pain, Privilege, DifferenceThis episode's transcript can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lvPGFrLhwztTY7eze3mjo_fRIqn84VUtkLIySfp01PY/edit?usp=sharingThanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

In this episode I speak with Dainora, a social worker from Lithuania, working as a Supported Decision-Making Specialist at the Agency for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and as a Marketing Manager at the Psychosocial Activity Centre “Nauja pradžia”, while also pursuing a master’s degree. Her work in supported decision-making focuses on empowering people with disabilities to make their own decisions, strengthen their independence, and have their voices heard. Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:Agency for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ANTA) - https://anta.lrv.lt/lt/Psychosocial Activity Center “Nauja Pradžia (New Start)” - https://www.facebook.com/p/Nauja-prad%C5%BEia-psichosocialin%C4%97s-veiklos-centras-61560334597170/United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 12 (Equal recognition before the law) - https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-12-equal-recognition-before-the-law.htmlEuropean Disability Forum - https://www.edf-feph.org/“My Rights - My Voice” board game - https://pertvarka.lt/naujas-budas-kalbeti-apie-teises-ir-pasirinkimus-d-jurgaitytes-sukurtas-zaidimas-mano-teises-mano-balsas/This episode's transcript can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W-5dq8jG8fYiZ5I8U2CkmOoIvb7Odg-yhGLIQyP13t4/edit?usp=sharing

In this episode I speak with Dr Eymen Ekmen, an academic in Türkiye who completed his PhD in 2026, and whose research primarily focuses on migration, refugee studies, and Syrian refugees in Türkiye. Eymen places great emphasis on working with diverse cultures and conducting fieldwork in participants' native languages, and he himself speaks Arabic, English, Turkish, and Serbo-Croatian.Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:Istanbul Arel University’s Social Work Department - https://arel.edu.tr/en/faculty-of-health-sciences-social-work/Eymen’s Google Scholar page - https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=_4wrMQoAAAAJ&hl=frThis episode's transcript can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GtU6RDI94YmQ81tKkV7NNfA5DXh5LVT8gCi-bK9n5R0/edit?usp=sharingThanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

In this episode I speak with Vesna from North Macedonia, with more than 20 years of professional experience beginning with volunteering in civil society organisations supporting people at social risk, where she discovered her passion for this profession. Throughout her career, she has worked with different groups, currently focusing on early childhood care, while also actively involved in international projects, non-formal education, and professional training as a lecturer and educator. Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:The Streets Smart Model - https://streetsmarts.blogs.auckland.ac.nz/home/thestreetsmartsmodel/Mellow Parenting program - https://www.mellowparenting.org/eTwinning projects - https://school-education.ec.europa.eu/en/etwinning/projectsErasmus+ program - https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/“Life Story Work: A Practical Guide To Helping Children Understand Their Past” (the English book related to Vesna’s approach when writing her own book) -  https://dokumen.pub/life-story-work-a-practical-guide-to-helping-children-understand-their-past-9781905664023.htmlProfessor Ranko Rajovic’s work - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxbskgKBLFsNikola Tesla Learning Centre Learning System - https://ntclearning.com/This episode's transcript can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wY4d2-IBCVeDtIivj514o8IPI3l9VsOk_89hl-hH2TA/edit?usp=sharingThanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

In this episode I speak with Gülcan, a social worker from Türkiye, currently living in Serbia. Gülcan has worked in migration and refugee support, child protection, and emergency and crisis settings, with field experience in humanitarian responses during the COVID-19 period, the Syrian refugee crisis, and the 2023 earthquake response in Türkiye. She has also worked with vulnerable children and women living in camps and other protection settings in both Türkiye and Serbia.Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:Gülcan’s LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gülcan-güzel-171739196/Sphere Standards training, especially for humanitarian and emergency response work - https://spherestandards.org/online-courses/UNICEF’s online learning platform *Agora* (free and certified online courses, including training on child protection, migration, and emergency response) - https://agora.unicef.org/European Solidarity Corps European Union humanitarian volunteering program - https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/young-people/volunteering-humanitarian-aid_en“The Swimmers” film, based on the true story of two Syrian sisters and their journey from war and displacement to finding a safe life in Europe - https://youtu.be/ObN4krVV20Y?si=YU5bMInrUMMMie_jThis episode's transcript can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KjPSYnopk5ApjKDNYn2YvGi09NLnGlfy_eB2bVHpe_E/edit?usp=sharingThanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

In this episode I speak with Elizabeth, a first-year PhD student at the University of Bucharest and early career practitioner. Elizabeth has participated in several exchange programs under the Erasmus+ framework, broadening her perspective on social work practices and international collaboration. She has worked in diverse roles supporting older adults and children with autism, allowing her to develop a diverse set of skills and a deeper understanding of different vulnerable populations. Elizabeth is particularly interested in initiatives that promote innovation, inclusion, community development, and evidence-based practice within the social services sector.Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:Elizabeth’s YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@elizabethfarca%C8%99 Elizabeth’s WordPress page - https://elizabethfarcas.wordpress.com/ https://ro.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-farcas-1909aa225 Elizabeth’s TikTok account - http://tiktok.com/@elizabethfarcas Elizabeth’s Pinterest page - https://ro.pinterest.com/elizabethfarcas/_profile/ The Romanian Ministry of Labor, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity - https://mmuncii.gov.ro/Bucharest’s social services agency - https://www.dgas.ro/ Romania’s National Agency for Payments and Social Inspection - https://www.mmanpis.ro/ Romania’s National Authority for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - https://anpd.gov.ro/web/ This episode's transcript can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BURBqURLK8nHM_EaemK7_quQaogNVJaUaBs72vIzs0M/edit?usp=sharingThanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

In this episode I speak with Sophia, a social worker, sexologist, and relationship counsellor from Germany. She has worked in child protection and youth services in both Germany and Australia, including child and family welfare services, therapeutic residential crisis care for children and young people, and specialised crisis support for girls who have experienced sexual violence and abuse. Sophia has worked as a lecturer in sexology, and is the founder of Sexology Hub, where she offers sexuality and relationship counselling, individual coaching, as well as educational programs, workshops, and professional training for diverse audiences.Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:Trauma-informed work and recoverySanctuary Institute - https://www.thesanctuaryinstitute.org/Creating Sanctuary by Sandra Bloom - https://sandrabloom.com/book/creating-sanctuary-toward-the-evolution-of-sane-societies/Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman - https://openlibrary.org/books/OL1563764M/Trauma_and_RecoveryThe Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk - https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-scorePractical resources and research on sexual violenceRAINN - https://rainn.org/Caste-based discrimininationInternational Dalit Solidarity Network - https://idsn.org/International Cooperation WorkPedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire - https://fsi-ebcao.princeton.edu/sites/g/files/toruqf1411/files/media/freire.pdfDecolonizing Methodologies by Linda Tuhiwai Smith - https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/decolonizing-methodologies-9781786998125/Social Work Crisis in BerlinAG Weiße Fahnen, DBSH Berlin, GEW BERLIN "Die Berliner Jugendhilfe befindet sich im Kollaps" | GEW - Berlin - https://www.gew-berlin.de/presse/detailseite/ag-weisse-fahnen-dbsh-berlin-gew-berlin-die-berliner-jugendhilfe-befindet-sich-im-kollapsSexuality and relationship counselling/therapyA Clinician's Guide to Systemic Sex Therapy by Gerald Weeks et al. - https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315817392/clinician-guide-systemic-sex-therapy-gerald-weeks-katherine-hertlein-nancy-gambesciaPrinciples and Practice of Sex Therapy by Hall & Binik - https://www.guilford.com/books/Principles-and-Practice-of-Sex-Therapy/Hall-Binik/9781462543397Personal / Professional ResourcesSophia’s open-access publication on Problematic Porn Consumption among Men: Males’ Lived Experience with Self-Perceived Pornography Addiction: A Qualitative Study of Problematic Porn Use - https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/2/1497Sophia’s website - https://sexologyhub.com/This episode's transcript can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vmORcM52JnAuYjakfttLbPmLQHqEH2JH5fOPG8AmOC8/edit?usp=sharingThanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

In this episode I speak with Theo in Greece, with experience in refugee settings and now supporting people with disabilities. Theo is passionate and motivated to work with people in need, believing strongly in the power of community, working next to people and for the people.Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) - https://pecs.com/picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs/This episode's transcript can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bFHrk9IdTg26k0HiGobKdEJqyffptQQQ9ZRaQ37OgPE/edit?usp=sharingThanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

In this episode I speak with Susana, with over fifteen years working in frontline social care, as a social worker in children's and adults' services, and now as a Registered Manager for an independent fostering agency in England. Susana is also the creator of MyTappyPlace, a wellbeing platform designed specifically for frontline professionals.Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:Frontline’s national fast-track social work training programme - https://thefrontline.org.uk/My Tappy Place - https://mytappyplace.co.uk/EFT Universe (High Energy Health Podcast) - https://eftuniverse.com/podcast/Lika Family Fostering - https://likafamilyfostering.co.uk/This episode's transcript can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YQU3DZV1lzdsKh6t_LIDzF3REDwTJe5A4a-P5FnOwI0/edit?usp=sharingThanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.